Chapter 642: Turning the Tide in Desperate Times
Chapter 642: Turning the Tide in Desperate Times
Uchiha Madara sensed the approaching Itachi and quickly gathered chakra in his hands and feet, ready to strike Itachi head-on.
Itachi's movements were swift, and the distance between them narrowed to within five meters in an instant.
Just as Madara was about to use Taijutsu, Itachi's left eye shed a tear.
The next moment, the world in Madara's eyes changed rapidly. He found himself in a void world with a blood-red sky, tied to a cross, while Itachi stood before him.
Although Itachi was using Tsukuyomi for the first time, the moment he entered the Genjutsu world, he knew one thing—this was a world completely under his control.
In the blink of an eye, countless Itachis appeared before Madara, each wielding a long sword.
"Hahahaha!" Far from being intimidated, Madara, bound as he was, burst into laughter.
Sensing something amiss, Itachi wasted no time and unleashed countless attacks out of thin air, aiming at Madara.
"Using Genjutsu on me, brave indeed," Madara said, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.
In a contest of Sharingan Genjutsu, the one who made the first move had a certain advantage, but it was not enough to determine the outcome. Only the power of the eyes and one's spiritual strength could decide the victor.
Crack! Crack!
As Madara's laughter echoed, the entire Tsukuyomi world began to crack, shattering rapidly.
"Huff, huff!" Itachi panted, his pupils shrinking as he clutched his left eye, from which he felt a searing pain.
Using the Mangekyo Sharingan's Genjutsu had side effects, and now that it had been forcibly broken, the backlash felt worse than being stabbed with a knife.
"Am I really this weak now?" Madara frowned, feeling a stabbing pain in his brain.
If he still had his own eyes, even if they were the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan and not the Rinnegan, he could have easily broken free from Itachi's Sharingan Genjutsu without injury.
This thought made Madara even more eager to complete his plan and resurrect in his prime.
In his current state, he might not even be a match for the five Kage.
"Konoha Strong Whirlwind!"
Might Guy suddenly rushed forward, preventing Madara from attacking the injured Itachi.
Whoosh!
Kakashi tightened his grip on the White Fang and charged once more, assisting Guy in blocking Madara's advance.
"Itachi, are you alright?" Obito quickly arrived at Itachi's side and asked.
Although Madara's target was Haruno, it was Itachi who was truly injured at the moment.
"I'm fine," Itachi shook his head.
He still had one last trump card he hadn't used yet, and with that, even the most severe injuries wouldn't matter.
It was just unfortunate that this new power had arrived a step too late.
"Go help Guy and the others. This enemy is too strong," Itachi said urgently.
This Uchiha Madara in the black robe was the strongest ninja Itachi had ever encountered.
His Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, and Taijutsu were all top-notch.
"Susanoo!"
Madara almost instantly unleashed Susanoo, and the four arms wielded blue lightsabers, slashing towards Kakashi and Guy with four sword beams.
"Golden Horizon!"
Facing this dire situation, Guy pushed his Rock Element: Deep Breathing to the limit, maximizing his defense and strength. He swung his sword, delivering a powerful slash.
Boom!!
The thick blue sword beam exploded, sending Guy flying. The fingers he had used for the Golden Horizon technique were now drenched in blood.
Sizzle!!
Facing this immensely powerful slash, Kakashi quickly channeled his chakra into the White Fang, also using a slash to counter the attack.
Boom!
Crack!!
Kakashi was sent tumbling back for ten meters before landing on the ground. The White Fang in his hand had shattered into several pieces the moment it left his grasp.
Kakashi lay on the ground, staring blankly at the broken White Fang in his hand.
To him, the White Fang was not just a useful chakra knife; it was also a memento left by his father.
His most respected teacher had died, and they had known it would happen.
The relic left by his father was now shattered, even though he possessed the Secret Jutsu of Weapon Reinforcement—the Elemental Secret Jutsu.
"Is everything really predetermined? No matter how hard we try, can we not change anything...?" Kakashi felt a sense of overwhelming helplessness.
To prevent the possible death of Mu Yu, each of his disciples had trained rigorously, pushing themselves to the limit every day.
Whenever they went on a mission, they were extremely cautious, fearing that it might be the foretold death of Mu Yu.
In the end, all they could do was watch helplessly as Mu Yu was killed by Uchiha Madara in the black robe.
Kakashi blamed himself for not maintaining his Transparent World for a little longer; perhaps then, he could have sensed the enemy's ambush.
But he also knew that if he had time-traveled back without retaining his memories, he would have made the same choices.
In Kakashi's perception, it was impossible for anyone to take a full-power strike from Mu Yue's Void Slash head-on.
Even the eighty-meter-tall blue giant had been chopped to pieces; how could a ninja's mortal body hope to withstand such an attack?
The fact that their enemy was still alive came as a shock to all the Konoha ninjas.
Kakashi tried to stand. Thanks to the Tokoyo seal, he still had enough chakra to continue fighting.
Though his heart was heavy with pain, and all he wanted to do was lie on the ground and do nothing, he couldn't give up. Tobirama and the others were still fighting.
However, due to his severe injuries, Kakashi couldn't maintain his balance and ended up half-kneeling on the ground.
Kakashi remembered the healing potion in his ninja tool pouch, but when he reached for it, he found that the pouch had been destroyed in the previous attack.
He continued to try to stand but failed repeatedly.
At that moment, a voice seemed to echo in Kakashi's mind.
"It's over. No matter how hard you try, in the end, you'll be the only one left. History cannot be changed. No matter how desperately you fight, Tobirama, Lin, and Gengetsu will all eventually leave you, just like Teacher Mu Yue..."
Kakashi's body trembled slightly.
Was it because his severe injuries had left him feeling insecure, causing him to think of his greatest fear?
Kakashi wasn't afraid of dying in battle, but he was terrified of becoming the "Kakashi Senpai" that Adult Yamato had spoken of.
"Growl."
At that moment, the injured Mane Wolf walked over to Kakashi, sat down in front of him, and seemed determined to protect him at all costs.
Not long after the battle began, Kakashi and the others had summoned their respective summoned beasts.
However, Uchiha Madara was too strong. Even with so many elite Konoha ninjas ganging up on him and their summoned beasts trying to turn the tide, they had been ineffective and quickly injured.
"Mane..." Kakashi's expression was complicated as he addressed the Mane Wolf.
Having spent a long time with the wolf, he could naturally understand its call.
In that instant, he felt inferior to the Mane Wolf, which had only been born a few years ago.
Despite their similar severe injuries, the Mane Wolf had no hesitation in acting on its instincts.
Kakashi believed that if an attack came their way now, the Mane Wolf would use its body to shield him.
Yet here he was, having such thoughts when his teammates needed him the most.
"Mane, help me up," Kakashi said to the wolf.
No matter the outcome, he had to fight until the very end.
Even if he ended up becoming that "Kakashi Senpai," at least he wouldn't have any regrets like, "What if I had given it my all without hesitation?"
The Mane Wolf understood Kakashi's intent, so it grabbed Kakashi's clothes with its teeth and helped him stand.
'Life Droplets!'
Minatos condensed life-force-imbued water spheres and fired them at the injured Konoha ninjas.
Kakashi was hit by one of the droplets, and his condition improved significantly. At least, he could move without issue now.
He quickly walked over to Mu Yue's body, apologized, and then picked up the Yama sword lying next to her.
Based on Kakashi's understanding of blades, Yama was undoubtedly an excellent sword, and it was even more suitable for performing the Void Slash than White Fang.
Since half of Kakashi's strength lay in his Lightning Release Blade technique, and White Fang was now broken, he had no choice but to use a new sword.
"Hmm?" Kakashi's expression changed as soon as he picked up Yama.
The moment he held the sword, his chakra began flowing uncontrollably into the blade as if it were trying to drain him entirely.
"Stop!" Kakashi struggled to control his chakra and resist Yama's pull.
If a ninja's chakra was completely drained, it could be fatal.
"Give it back!"
Kakashi not only resisted Yama's suction but also tried to reclaim the chakra that had been sucked into the sword.
He wasn't just going through the motions of fighting; he was determined to fight with everything he had and try to change that damn awful ending.
Due to Kakashi's efforts, chakra continuously flowed from Yama back into his body.
Astonishingly, Kakashi realized that he was reclaiming more chakra than he had initially lost.
"It's Teacher Mu Yue!" Kakashi understood the reason.
Mu Yue had just used Yama to battle the black-robed Uchiha Madara, so some of her chakra might still be inside the sword.
With this realization, Kakashi gripped Yama even tighter.
Even at this juncture, Mu Yue was still helping them.
"Yang Seal: Release!"
"Lightning Breath Chakra Mode!"
Without hesitation, Kakashi released the Yang Seal, harnessing the chakra within, and once again entered the Lightning Breath Chakra Mode, opening his Transparent World.
Kakashi fixed his gaze on the black-robed Uchiha, gripping Yama tightly as his chakra surged.
To perform the "Heart of Still Water" technique, one's heart must be free from desire and distraction, but at this moment, Kakashi's mind was filled with the determination to protect his comrades and change the future.
However, surprisingly, Kakashi did not fail in his attempt.
Zzzt!
A large amount of lightning element gathered on Yemma's body, and a chilling aura rose from the blade.
At this moment, Kakashi suddenly realized something. While a self-less strike devoid of all impurities was indeed powerful, it was not something he could achieve.
He, Hatake Kakashi, did not want to be alone. He wanted to protect his comrades and the people he cared about, even if it meant breaking the rules and changing history.
"I won't let you continue any further!"
Rumble!
As Kakashi channeled most of his chakra and raised Yemma, lightning flashed in the sky, and a bolt of lightning struck the blade, attracting the attention of everyone present.
Uchiha Madara, who had just badly injured Might Guy, wore a wary expression.
If it weren't for Izanagi, Mu Yue's strike would have truly killed him.
"Kakashi has broken through again. Obito, let's assist him together," Shisui said hastily upon seeing this.
At this moment, Might Guy was already badly injured and could no longer continue fighting.
Obito, with his Kamui, had the least injuries, and Shisui still had a trump card that could restore his state, so they were ready to fight again.
Obito didn't say anything, just nodded.
The two sprang into action, rushing towards the Susanoo from two directions, aiming to create the best opportunity for Kakashi to attack.
The black-robed Uchiha was no puppet and wouldn't stand there to be slashed by Kakashi.
The reason Mu Yue's "Heart of Still Water" strike had hit the black-robed Uchiha was that he had been busy fighting a wooden puppet at the time, and the timing had been perfect.
"The only reason you're still alive is that you're of some use to me. Don't get any ideas," Uchiha Madara said, feeling annoyed as he watched the three rushing towards him.
If he hadn't intentionally held back, Obito and the others would have died countless times already.
And yet, they still weren't satisfied and wanted to stop him from taking Yahiko Rin away.
"Feel the gap between us!"
Uchiha Madara unleashed his chakra once more, and a dense blue chakra rose rapidly, causing the Susanoo's height and size to change rapidly.
Originally, he hadn't wanted to use this level of Susanoo again. First, it was like using a cannon to kill a mosquito, and second, it was a bit of a burden for him now.
But seeing Kakashi and the others like this, Uchiha Madara felt that it would be more straightforward to use a full-power Susanoo again.
Rumble!
The ground shattered, and an eighty-meter-tall blue giant reappeared on the battlefield.
It faced Kakashi's attack head-on without dodging or evading.
Now, the only thing Uchiha Madara had to be wary of was Obito's Mangekyo Sharingan ability; the rest posed no threat to him.
Crack!
Kakashi leaped high, swinging Yemma at the Susanoo's abdomen, but only managed to leave a few cracks.
Huff!
The Susanoo's two massive fists slammed towards Kakashi.
"Kamui!"
Obito had wanted to use Kamui on Uchiha Madara, who was in the Susanoo's head, but seeing Kakashi about to be hit, he chose to use Kamui to help Kakashi instead.
Shisui, on the other hand, used the Body Flicker Technique to appear next to Kakashi to support him.
The effective range of Tsukuyomi was within five meters, and Uchiha Madara was too far away for Shisui to use it against him.
Then, ignoring Obito and the others, Uchiha Madara extended a chakra arm towards Yahiko Rin.
Obito had just unlocked his Mangekyo Sharingan and had already used its ability so many times that he was now exhausted and couldn't use it again.
In other words, he could now ignore everyone and take Yahiko Rin away.
"Rin!"
Obito's Sharingan was still bleeding, and he desperately wanted to crush the giant hand reaching for Yahiko Rin, but his condition was no longer sufficient for him to use Kamui again.
Thick mist formed in Obito's eyes and mixed with the blood, forming bloody tears.
Was Rin going to leave him too?
This world was indeed fake!
"Give me a little more chakra!"
Kakashi desperately wanted to draw enough chakra from Yemma to use the "Heart of Still Water" technique again, but Yemma was not a chakra producer; it was only a conduit. No matter how much Kakashi wanted, it couldn't create chakra for him.
Shisui desperately used the Body Flicker Technique to rush forward.
If he made it in time, he could use his genjutsu on Yahiko Rin. Even if he couldn't save her for sure, he could at least give her an extra life.
"Roar!"
Menace let out an intimidating roar, its mouth filled with a large amount of water-attribute chakra.
Although Menace had decent strength, it was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot when facing Uchiha Madara's Susanoo.
Just as Menace felt resentful about this, the temperature-sensitive beast suddenly felt a scorching heat.
(End of Chapter)
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